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Nl. J. PORTER. Pos1 omc B0X.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6. |919.

1,314,363. Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

M. J. PORTER.

POST UFFICE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6. I9I9.

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MILTON J'. PORTER, OF WAYNE, PENNSYLVMUA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF'TO JOSEFE M. FRONEFIELD, DI' WAYNE, IENNBYLVANIA.

POBT-OFFICE BOX.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

Application led February 6, 1919. Serial No. 275,379.

To all whom it may concern.'

--Be it known that I, MILTON 5.20pm, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Wayne, county of Delaware, State of Pennsylvania', have invented certain Iniprovements in Post-Oiiice 1 3oxes, of which the followin is a specification. p

My invention relates to certain improvements in post oiiice boxes, particularly those which are arranged in nests, open at the rear and having doors at the front end which are opened by the renters of the boxes.

One object of my invention is to provide means for preventing the accidental 'Ipllacing of mail matter in unrented boxes. is object I attain by providing a shutter, or closure, which can be adjusted so as to close the rear of an box in the nest, its rimary function being to close the rear of unrented boxes.

A further, object of the invention is to provide a closure for each box' and to construct the closure so that it will carry the name plate of the party renting the box. The invention also relates to details in construction in which the closure, when the box is rented can be located in the upper portion of the box so as not to interfere with the placing of mail inthe box.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a rear view of a case, showing a' nest of post oiiice boxes;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22,

Fig. 1, drawn to an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of-one of the ends of the boxes, showing the device in pof sition to close the box;

Fig. 4 is a similar view, showing the device in the raised position;

Fig. 5 is a detached, inverted, perspective view of theslide in which the closingl device is mounted;

Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of the closing device;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the same;

Fig. 8 is a view of the blank for the closing device prior to being bent into shape;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the devices on the line 2 2, Fig 1; and

Figs. 10 and 11 are views of a modification.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a nest of boxes, which may be constructed either of wood or of metal. The boxes are usually renters name.

closed at their'outer ends by suitable doors 2, the key of which is held by the renter of the box. The rear of each box is open and 1s usuall in front of the sorting table at the post o ce so that the postmaster can place the mail in the respective boxes. These boxes are rented to persons receiving the mail and there are usually more boxes than renters, cons V uently, some of the boxes remain unrented. ese unrented boxes are located at any point in the nest of boxes. Therefore, it frequently happens that the postmaster inadvertently places mail in one of the unrented boxes, as well as in the rentf ed boxes. Such a mistake is quickly corrected if the mail be wrongly placed in a rented box, as the renter, when he calls for his mail, will return the misplaced mail to the postmaster, but the mail incorrectly placed in an unrented box is likely to remain for some time without being discovered.

By my invention, I provide a simple closing device for all unrented boxes so that it is impossible to place mail in them.

I will now proceed to describe the details of construction.

Secured to the upper portion of each box is a bearing plate 3 having ways 4 at each side, which terminate at the rear end in depending' sockets 5. Extending from the ways 4 are supporting members 6 for the closing. device. This bearing late is madeof sheet metal, bent to form t e elements hereinbefore described, and is secured to the upper surface of each box with the sockets 5 projecting downward at the rear end. The closing device, in the present instance, com sists of a sheet metal late 7 having across bar 8 at one end, which is adapted to the ways 4 in the bearing plate and is designed to drop into the sockets 5 when the plate is fully extended. This prevents the accidental moving of the plate from its position. The end of the plate is bent up, as at 9, not only to form a stop and a means by which the plate can be readily handled but also to form a carrier to receive a card indicating the number of the box and the The plate is bent from a blank shown in Fig. 8, one end, 10, of the blank being bent around a bar 8, while the other end of the blank is turned up to form the portion 9. In order to form the lips on the plate to hold the card, I make the blank `by the closing device,the name of the previous renter disappears. Whenthe box is rented again, all that is necessary is to elevate the closing device to a horizontal pos1- tion and to slide it in the ways 4 of the bearing plate, the new renters name occupying the space previously occu led by the name of the former renter. he rod w1ll -hold one end of the closing device, While the projections 6 on the bearing plate will hold the body portion of the plate in position, as it will be understood that, 1n the present instance, the Width of the closlng device is less than the width of the Ways, so as to allow it to slide and hang freely..

'While I prefer to provide each box with a closing member, in some instances each box may be. provided with guideways and the closing device may be detachable, and fewer in number than the boxes, as, in most cases, a number of the boxes are always rented. l

In Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, I have illustrated my invention as applied to a nest of boxes, in which the divisions are Inadeof wood. If they are made of metal, then the guidways for the closing device may be formed in the metal artitions, or by angle bars 4, Figs. 10 an 11, and if the horizontal partitions are narrow, then the name plate or carrier 9a onl the plate 7a may be depressed, as shown in Fig. 10, so that when it is in the raised position the name carrier will be below the top of the box.

I claim: v

1. The combination of a nest of post oiiice boxes, each box having .a door at one end to be opened by the renter and open at the opposite end forthe insertion of mall by a postmaster; a closing devlce for each box,

said closing device being pivoted to the upl per end of each box 'so as to hang down at the open end ofthe boxv to prevent the insertion of mail thereinand arranged to be moved into position so as to be located in the upper portion of the box when the box is rented.

A2. The combination in a series of post office boxes, of a bearing plate securedto the under side of each partition separating the boxes, said bearing plate having guideways at each side; a closing device hav-ing a cross bar at one end mounted in the guides and arranged, when i h one position,

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to hang freely from the bearing plate at -the yopen end of the box so as to prevent the insertion of mail in the box when unrented, the bearing plate having means for supporting the closing device when 'in the raised position so as to hold the-device in the upper portion of the box clear of the mail inserted in the box.

3. The combination in a ost oiflce box, of a. bearing plate mountedp in the upper portlon of the'box and having guideways at one s lde, said guideways terminating in dependmg sockets; a closing device having a rod at one end adapted to the guideways,

said rod, when the closing' device is movedV 4out to its full extent, dropping into the sockets and preventing the accidental movement of the upper end of the closingl device when in the closed position.

4. The combination in a post oiice box,

of a bearing plate adapted to be secured to the upper portion of the box, said plate bemg madelof sheet metal bent to form a slide way at each side with depending sockets and havmg supportlng members vprojecting from the slideways; and a closing device made of sheet metal and having a rod at one endv adapted to the ways and turned up at the opposite end to form a name plate holder,

the closing device being supported, when bers of the bearing plate, and, when in the closed pos1t1on, the rod is located inthe sockets and the lower part of the closing' gevice rests against the upper surface of the 5. The combination, with a post olice box,

of slideways inzthe upper portion of the same,` a closing/plate for the open end of said box, lugs carried at one end of said plate and arranged to move in said slideways, and an upturned flange at the opposite end of said plate; said iange affording a grasping projection when the plate is in the closing position and lying against the upper edge of the boxwhen the-plate is in l the raised position.

6. The combination, .with a post oiice box, of slideways in the upper portion of the same, a closing plate for the open end of raised, by the Ways and the supporting memv 

